Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has expressed his government’s alignment with the Congress-National Conference alliance on the issue of restoring Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Asif made these remarks during an interview with Geo News, where he highlighted the possibility of the alliance winning the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the first polls since the revocation of the region’s special status in 2019.
Asif emphasized that both Pakistan and the Congress-National Conference alliance shared a common stance on restoring Article 370, which granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir prior to its abrogation. “There is a high chance the Congress-National Conference alliance will win the Assembly polls, and they have made Article 370 a key election issue,” Asif stated.
While the National Conference has been vocal about the restoration of Article 370, the Congress has remained focused on advocating for the return of full statehood to the Union Territory. However, the remarks have drawn criticism from the ruling BJP in India, with party leaders accusing Congress of aligning with positions that they claim are detrimental to India’s national interest.
BJP leaders, including IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya, used the comments to criticize Congress, questioning the party’s stance on Kashmir. “Pakistan endorses Congress and National Conference’s position on Kashmir,” Malviya tweeted.
